Beading tool



June 5, 1945. w. H. DEDFuclI(v 2,377,406

BEADING TOOL Filed Jan. 20, 1944 mgm;

Patented June 5, 1945 UNITED STATE BEADING TOOL Y William H. Dedrick, Waco, Tex., assgnor toy Beech Aircraft Corporation, Wichita', Kans., a corporation of Delaware Application January 20, 1941.1, Serial No. 519,048

s claims. (C1. s-173i The 'invention here disclosed relates to the formation of beads on tubing.

Objects of the invention are to provide a tool by which beads maybe raised on tubing,

such as required in aircraft manufacture, and

particularly without the necessity/of removing the tubing from its locale.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a tool of such character, which will operate quickly and effectively and without injury to the tubing.v

Additional objects and the novel features through which the purposes of the invention are attained are set forth or will appear in the course of the following specification. y

The drawing accompanying and forming part of the specication illustrates a present practical embodiment of the invention, but it is realized that structure may be modified and changed as regards the immediate disclosure," all within the true intent and broad scope of the invention, as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig. 1 in the drawing is a perspective view illustrating the component parts of the tool in separatedA relation, the die forming clamp applied to the tubing andthe cooperative expander mechanism ready to be inserted into the tubing conned within the clamp, the end of the tubing appearing in section.

Fig. 2 is a broken longitudinal sectional view showing the parts combined for eifecting the beading operation.

Figs. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views on substantially the plane of line 3-4 of Fig. 2, showing how the beading roller is projected by relative rotation of the shaft member within lthe sleeve element of the tool.

Figs. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views on substantially the plane of line 5-6 of Fig. 2 and illustrating the lost motion connection permitting limited relative rotation of the shaft within the sleeve member.

Fig. 7 is a broken side elevation illustrating the completed bead formed on the tubing.

The clamp portion of the device is shown as comprising a pair of blocks 8, 9, shaped to fit about and to completely enclose the tubing I0, and releasably secured in this relation by a surrounding yoke II, and thumb screw I2, the latter centering in a seat I3, provided in one (8) of the blocks.

The clamp blocks have an internal annular groove I4, providing a die cavity for the formation of the bead.

The expander portion of the device comprises in thev illustration a sleeve-like body I5, having a reduced .end portion I6, to enter the tubing and a shoulder Il, to engage the end of the tubing, with a shaft member I8, rotatable Within the sleeve to project a bead forming rollerl out into the die cavity I4 described.

The roller is here shown in the form of a ball I9, conned-for partly projecting radial movement within an opening 20, in the side of the sleeve and adapted to seat in non-protruding relation within a pocket 2I, in the inner shaft member. This ball receiving pocket has an inclined or curved bottom wall 22, to accommOdate-the ball in retracted position (Fig. 3) and which will act as .a caml to project the ball when theshaft is turned in the sleeve, Fig. 4. In the latterlposition, it will be noted thata rounded bearing portion 23, at the end of the incline, stands in back of the ball, to rmly support itin the protruding bead forming position.

The shaft member is shown as having a head 24, at the outer end of the same for abutting engagement with' the outer end of the sleeve member andthe inner end of the shaft isshown as expandedor headed over at 25, to rotatably confine the shaft within the sleeve.

' Ayhandle rod 26, extending through the outer head' portion of the shaft provides the means for turning this and the surrounding sleeve element.

Limitation of the turning movement of the shaft within the sleeve and by that, the extent of projection of the ball is effected in the illustration by a cross pin 21, on the shaft, engageable with shoulders 28, on the end of the sleeve. These forwardly located shoulders limit rotation of the shaft in the ball projecting direction, as indicated in the broken lines, Fig. 1, and oppositely disposed .shoulders 29, are engageable by thecross pin to limit rotation in the opposite ball retractingA direction. These circumferentially spaced stop shoulders 28 and 29 may be provided, as illustrated, by simply cutting diametrically opposite notches in the end of the sleeve to receive the cross pin 21 and of sufficient circumferential extent to allow the desired relative rotation of the shaft within the sleeve. The lost motion connection thus provided between the shaft and sleeve enables the operator to eifect projection and permit retraction of the ball and to positively turn the entire instrument in the tubing, either in the bead forming direction or in the reverse direction.

The ball is thus positively projected by the cam portions 22, 23, by the turning of the handle in the bead forming direction and is permitted to drop back into non-projecting, retracted position by turning of the' handle in the reverse direction. Furthermore, if for any unknown reason Athe ball should stick in the outwardly projected position, after the handle has been turned back to permit retractive movementgthe ball will be forced inward to its seated position in the pocket 2|, by the outer inclined wall of the formed bead, as the tool is withdrawn from the end of the tubing.

The shoulder l1 on the sleeve, by engagement with the end of the tubing, provides a stop for locating the bead rolling element at a predetermined point, that is, a definite distance inward from the end of the tubing. For a similar purpose, the die blocks may be constructed with the annular die cavity therein at a; point to line up with the ball when the die blocks are flush with the end of the tubing as in Fig. 2. Thus, it can be assured, that the die cavity will be in accurate registry withthe bead projecting element.

The separable die structurels readily applicable to and .removable from the tubing and this accurately determines the final shape of the bead 80, produced by the tool. Furthermore, this surrounding die supports and reinforces the tubing, while lthe bead is being formed, saving the tubing from any injury during such forming operation. The bead expressing element is shown as of complemental form to the die cavity and while this is generally preferred, it is realized that these may not be exactly complemental and that for certain results, they may actually be of different nonoomplemental formation. While necessarily rotatable within the tubing, the sleeve .may have a frictional fit in the tubing. so as to act as a drag for creating or initiating the relative rotation of the shaft within the sleeve necessary to effect protrusion of the bead forming ball. The outer end portion of the sleeve being exposed, provides a means by which the sleeve may be held, if necessary, while effecting turning ofv the shaft in the sleeve either in the ball projecting or ball retracting direction. While of particular valuefor beading the tubing used in aircraft structures, it is realid that the invention is of wider application and useful for projecting beads on hollow articles of any character.

What is claimed is: Y

l, A beading tool, comprising a clamp engageable about tubing and having an internal bead receiving annular groove, a sleeve insertable in tubing confined by said clamp, a shaft rotatable in said sleeve and a roller for displacing ,the wall of the tubing out into said groove, said roller belng guided and confined between said sleeve and shaft, the sleeve having an opening for the protrusion of said roller, the shaft having a .retaining pocket for said .roller with a cam shaped bot- 460 IeCtlOnS.

tom which will project the roller through said opening upon relative rotation of said shaft in the sleeve, means rotatably confining said shaft against longitudinal shifting movement in said 5 sleeve, handle means on the outer end of the shaft for effecting rotation of the same, a cross pin on said shaft at the outer end of the sleeve and said sleeve having diametrically opposite notches in the end of the same receiving the ends of said cross l0 pin and providing circumferentially spaced pairs of shoulders engagealble by the cross pin to limit rotation of the shaft within the sleeve, in the opposite directions and forming a positive coupling between the shaft and sleeve by which the sleeve mayV be turned from the shaft in both directions.

' -2. A beading tool, comprising a. separable die engageable about tubing or the like and having an internal .bead defining die cavity, relatively rotatable elements insertable in tubing confined Within said die and a beading member carried by said relatively rotatable elements and projectible thereby in such relative rotation into cooperative relation Withsaid die cavity, said relatively rotat- 5 able elements comprising a sleeve and a shaft rotatably held in denite longitudinal position in said sleeve, said sleeve having circumferentially spaced shoulders, a cross pin carried by the shaft and disposed between said shoulders to limit rotation of the shaft in the sleeve in both directions and to enable the `sleeve to be rotated from the shaft, said shaft having a circumferential cam portion engageable with said beading member for effecting projection of the saine to the extent provided by the relative rotation of the shaft within the sleeve, and means for effecting rotation of the shaft in both directions for accomplishing relative rotation of the shaft in the sleeve and the turning of said sleeve by said shaft.

3. A beadingtool, comprising companion die elements engageable about tubing .to be beaded and having an internal bead Vdefining cavity, relatively rotatable tool elements insertable into tubing confined within said die elements, a bead projecting member conj ointly carried by sadrelatively rotatable tool elements, means for projecting or permitting retractive movement of said bead projecting member upon relativel rotation of said tool elements in opposite directions and means limiting the extent of relative rotation of said elements in opposite directions, said tool elements including .a sleeve element and a shaft element rotatably confined in definite longitudinal relation therein, handle means for effecting rotation oi said shaft element and said means for limiting the exten-t of relative rotation including circumferentially spaced cooperative shoulders on the sleeve and shaft elements engageable upon limited rotation of the shaft in thesleeve in opposite di- WIILIAM H. pnoarcx. 

